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Of course, it’s hard to select just a few covers out of the hero’s history. Daredevil has appeared in well over a thousand comics, hundreds of them being series he starred in. Of course, you can’t forget about his very first appearance on the cover of Daredevil #1, nor the cover of Daredevil #232, an incredibly important chapter in the classic “Born Again” saga. There are so many great Daredevil covers from a lot of incredibly talented artists. But I think the following 10 covers are some of the best from the beloved Marvel hero’s history.
10. Daredevil #8
Something about this cover is just fun, you know? A ridiculous villain like Stilt Man with Daredevil zipping around through the air. This is from a more quaint, simple period of Marvel history, before Matt Murdock’s life became so linked to trauma and grief. It’s got a real silly heart and charm to it. We might be more used to seeing Matt face more serious, grounded threats nowadays, but the cover to Daredevil #8 is a good reminder that Daredevil is, above all, a superhero. And if a superhero can’t fight a villain on stilts, what’s the point of them?
9. Daredevil: Yellow #1
Tim Sale was an amazingly talented artist, and the work he did on Daredevil: Yellow is nothing short of amazing. I particularly love the cover of Daredevil: Yellow #1. It’s a great peek at Matt’s earliest days, the last bit of innocence before his father was taken from him. Matt’s future self looms in the background, wearing his infamous original yellow outfit, a solemn hint at the future awaiting the boy walking side-by-side with his dad. There’s a real haunting sadness when it comes to Daredevil and Sale did an amazing job making us feel for him with this cover.
8. Daredevil #169
When it comes to Daredevil’s enemies, they don’t get much more despicable than Bullseye (okay, maybe Kingpin). Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s cover to Daredevil #169 really shows just how messed up Bullseye is when it comes to his nemesis. The maniacal villain stands among a field of slaughtered men and women in Daredevil costumes, reflecting the tumor that caused Bullseye to see everyone as Daredevil. But what really makes this cover is Bullseye’s look of utter happiness. Nothing says ‘absolute psychopath’ like this kind of tableau, which expertly shows off the monster Bullseye really is.
7. Daredevil #1 (Vol. 3)
I have a real love for this cover because this was one of my first forays into the Man Without Fear. Paolo Rivera illustrates Daredevil leaping through the city, its sounds defining the landscape around the hero as he navigates through his corner of the Marvel Universe. Aside from the brilliance of this cover, this was also the beginning of Mark Waid’s run on the cover, and the smile on Daredevil’s face really sells that this is going to be a different run than the previous ones; one where Matt is actually allowed to be just a little bit happier.
6. Daredevil #183
Everyone who likes the interactions between Daredevil and Punisher has this cover here to thank. Frank Miller’s cover for Daredevil #183 marks the first time that Matt Murdock and Frank Castle ever crossed paths. And yes, the story inside is just as confrontational as you’d think, with the two heroes having very different ideas on how to handle a gang pushing drugs on children in Hell’s Kitchen. I almost hesitated to include this one since it shows Daredevil taking a serious L, but it’s a notable cover and really demonstrates the massive animosity between Daredevil and the Punisher.
